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Nuzi, Iraq expedition records

1019

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held
at the University of Pennsylvania. Unless
otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our
reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

The Harvard-Baghdad School Expedition (American Schools of Oriental Research, A.S.O.R) was sent to Excavate Nuzi near Kirkuk
in Iraq. The expedition members consisted of staff from the Fogg Museum of Art, the Harvard Semitic Museum, and A.S.O.R.,
Baghad. Excavations commenced in 1927-1928. From 1929 to 1931, the University Museum extended financial aid and the services
of a helper, C.Bache, in return for his field training. Very few records pertaining to this excavation are available in the
Museum’s Archives, probably reflecting the Museum’s limited participation. Where possible, a chronological order was imposed
on the Near East records.

Biography/History

The Harvard-Baghdad School Expedition (American Schools of Oriental Research, A.S.O.R) was sent to Excavate Nuzi near Kirkuk
in Iraq. The expedition members consisted of staff from the Fogg Museum of Art, the Harvard Semitic Museum, and A.S.O.R.,
Baghad. Excavations commenced in 1927-1928, and were directed that season by E. Chiera (Professor of Assriology at the University
of Pennsylvania and Field Director at A.S.O.R., Baghdad) who, in 1925, had excavated portions of the small mounds there (c.f.
the Photograph Album Nuzi, 1925: Fieldnotes). Pfeiffer (Harvard University) resumed the work for the next season, 1928-1929.
For the following two seasons, 1929 to 1931, R.F.S. Starr (Fogg Museum of Art) continued excavation as director. During this
period, the University Museum extented financial aid and the services of a helper, C. Bache, in return for his field training.

Scope and Contents

Where possible, a chronological order was imposed on the Near East records. Photographs were retained with the documents when
they directly referred to content. Otherwise, the photographic collections hold material relating to excavations, objects,
and travel photographs (see inventory). Large maps and drawings, when available are kept in the Oversize collections, and
watercolors, small prints and drawings are in the Print Cabinet (see inventories).

Administrative Information

Publication Information

University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives, July 2009

Finding Aid Author

Finding aid prepared by K. Moreau

Use Restrictions

Although many items from the archives are in the public domain, copyright may be retained by the authors of items in these
papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. The user is fully responsible for compliance with
relevant copyright law.

Geographic Name(s)

Personal Name(s)

Subject(s)

Collection Inventory

General Correspondence, 1927-1931.

Scope and Contents note

Guidelines for Nuzi excavations, 1927 and 1929; reports from the field, some with sketches of the ezcavation, from Starr to
D.G. Lyon and other Harvard scholars, and to H .Jayne; letters, reports and financial statements from C. Bache to H. Jayne,
news releases, a note (1930) on the exhibition of the Harvard Mesopotamian Expedition and an epigraphical report fromT.J.
Meek to D. Lyon. Arranged chronologically.

Box

Harvard Baghdad School Expedition, general correspondence, 1929-1931.

1

Field Notes, 1929-1930.

Scope and Contents note

Notes from field by Charles Bache. Original notebook aka. Containes material from excavations at Beech Bottom, W. VA. It is
filed under Noerth America/Mid. Atlantic and other small expeditions, 1911-1969/Beech Bottom/Box 16. (L-1-5). Notebook labelled
“Beech Bottom” and “Charles Bache”.

Box

Charles Bache Field Notebook, Kirkuk, Dec.-Mar.

1

Photographs, 1925-1930.

Scope and Contents note

Photographic catalogue; two sets of photographs, one from Chiera’s 1925 excavation and the other from 1929-1930 season. Arranged
by season.